Compressed air weapons



pull wl@ 1966 K. wEsTlNGER ETAL COMPRESSED AIR WEAPONS Filed Fe. 1

BY 9M M 04.72

ATTORNEYS pril 26, 1966 K. wr-:sTlNGER ETAL 3,247,836

COMPRESSED AIR WEAPONS Filed Feb. l, 1962 6 SheG'S-Shee't 2 Z3 I ir Z3 22 l /fg 4 4 BY 0MM ATTORNEYS PIH 26, 1965 K. WESTINGER ETAL 3,247,836

COMPRESSED AIR WEAPONS April 25 1966 K. WESTINGER ETAL 3,247,836

COMPRESSED AIR WEAPONS S m w O G N TEW R 4 mma?. o VNn T u NWN@ T Inma C A q w WAN .T s T L m www .w me 6 April 26, 1966 K. WESTINGER ETAL 3,247,336

COMPRESSED AIR WEAPONS Filed Feb. 1, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS` Aprin 26 1966 K. WESTINGER ETAL 3,247,83

COMPRESSED AIR WEAPONS Filed Feb. 1, 1962 e sheets-sheet e BY @1305@ WZL? ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent() 3,247,836 CGMPRESSED AER WEAPNS Karl Westinger and Ernst Aitenburger, Oberndorf am Neckar, and Edwin Whrstein, Altoberndorf, Wurttemberg, Germany, assgnors to Feinwerkbau Westinger d; Altenburger Grmbl-I., berndorf am Neckar, Germany Filed Feb. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 170,441 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 24, 1961, 1F 33,277; .Fully 18, 1961, F 35,067; July 26, 1961, F 34,535, F 34,536

tiaims. (Cl. 124-15) The invention relates to a compressed air weapon especially an air gun. Air guns have in general the advantage that their ammunition is much cheaper than the ammunition for small calibre firearms, for which reason air guns are preferred for use for training purposes. The known air guns have, however, the disadvantage as compared with small calibre arms that the weapon is very tiring to fire since the air gun is 'released by means of a very stronglystressed spring which operates on a comparatively heavy air piston. The recoil of the weapon felt by the marksman is caused by the reaction force produced Iby the release of the spring.

In known air guns and air pistols attempts have been made to reduce or entirely eliminate this recoil of the weapon by the fact of using double pistons which are moved in opposite directions on ring so that in this way the reaction forces should be balanced out. Such compressed air weapons with double pistons require, however, a complicated ring device which involves the use of several highly stressed bearings which become damaged in time. Moreover, with these systems it is.necessary to deect the air before entering into the projectile carrier so that there is a loss of energy which does not appear in the case of systems having only a single compression pistou.

The invention on the lother hand consists in the fact that at least the barrel and the breech of the compressed air weapon are displaceably supported in the stock.

In the case of firearms it is known to support the barrel and the breech displaceably in-the carriage or in the stock in order either to reduce the recoil of the rearm caused by the expansion of the powder or, in the case of machine guns, to make ,use of this movement to reject the old cartridge and to introduce the new cartridge. The invention consists, therefore, in the application of a principle known in the case of rearms to pure training arms or weapons such as compressed air weapons, where, however, the cause of the recoil in the compressed air weapons is other than that involved in the case of firearms. v

The invention has primarily the great advantage that now compressed air weapons according to the invention remain just as-quiet or under some circumstances still quieter in the hands of the marksman, than small-bore weapons so that an air gun constructed according to.

the invention has both the advantage that the ammunition is comparatively cheap and also has the advantage previously only obtainable with small calibre weapons, namely that the weapon remains quiet in the hand on firing.

In constructional forms of the invention the trigger device can remain fixed in the stock and only the barrel and the breech block, the compression sleeve, the compression piston, the spring and the cocking device embodied therein are displaceably mounted in the stock. Of still simpler construction are those embodiments of the invention in which the whole weapon system or action is displaceably mounted in the stock.

The displaceable mounting can moreover be constructed is the recoil.

ICC

in any suitable way. The smaller the friction with which the weapon system or action is supported, the weaker In one embodiment of the invention the parts of the weapon displaceable during the recoil are supported on roller bearings. However, slidable bearings can also be used for supporting these parts. A particularly simple construction of the bearing is obtained in a constructional form of the invention in which the displaceable parts are held and guided by two blade springs running substantially approximately transversely to the direction of sliding. Thereby expensive roller bearings are eliminated.

The displaceable parts can be slidably supported so as to be completely free in the axial direction. The marksman can slide the movable system of the weapon by hand towards the front up to a stop, before ring, so that the system moves to the rear when firing. Owing to the friction opposing the sliding movement of the displaceably supported parts, this completely free movability of the system does not appear to be objectionably apparent in handling the weapon. In one embodiment of the invention, however, a return spring may engage the displaceable parts, which brings the system after firing back again on its own to its forward end position. However, the greater is the force of this return spring by which the system is pressed forwardly, the greater is also the recoil which is transmitted by this spring to the stock of the weapon.

This embodiment of the invention can furthermore be so constructed that the aforesaid blade springs upon which the weapon system or action isdisplaceably supported, returns the weapon system or action to its forward end position. Obviously in another constructional form of the invention such a return spring can be constructed also as a coil spring and may engage any part of the displaceable system.

In another constructional form of the invention no return spring engages the displaceable parts, which spring brings the system back to its forward-end position after firing. In order that the marksman, as in the aforesaid embodiment, does not have to return the weapon system or action to the forward end position by hand after `tiring, in a particularly advantageous constructional form of the invention this return movement is derived from the parts movedon cocking the weapon. When, therefore, the weapon is cocked, the system moves automaticallyin the forward direction. Since the return movement of the system is not opposed by any spring force, there is obtained in this Way a practically recoil-free air gun, the system of which returns automatically to the tiring position on cocking the weapon.

The feature of the invention of securing the return movement of the movable parts from the cocking movement of the firearm, can be carried out in various ways and by various means. If the cocking lever is pivotally supported on the breech casing, and thus likewise pertains to the parts slidably supported in the stock, a stop fixed to the stock may be present for example in the path of this cocking lever. When the cocking lever cornes fully against the stop on cocking the weapon, on continuing the cocking movement the pivot axis of the cocking lever moves forwardly together with the remainder of the weapon system. After the weapon is cocked the cocking lever again returns to its starting position, so that it is no longer in the region of the stop and these parts can move back without hindrance from this stop on firing.

If it relates to a weapon in which the compression cylinder is moved back during the cocking movement and on the return movement of the cocking lever to its starting position, this compression sleeve is again moved forwardly, the part of the weapon system which co-operates with the stop fixed in the stock, is joinedto the compression sleeve.

It is not absolutely necessary to provide a catch device which retains the displaced parts in their forward end position after cocking the weapon. Since the weapon will mostly be cocked shortly before tiring, with a suitable manipulation of the weapon, the weapon system can remain in its forward end position.

In another constructional form of the invention, however, a locking device is provided which retains the displaceable parts in their forward end position and is unlocked on firing so that the displaceable parts can move back without hindrance on firing This locking device can be formed by a pawl which drops behind a stop in the forward position of the displaceable parts. This locking device can be associated with the trigger so that on pressing the trigger the locking element moves away from the stop.

Further features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of constructional forms of the invention in conjunction with the claims and the accompanying drawings. The individual features can be utilised independently or several of them may be combined in one constructional form of the invention.

The drawings show the parts necessary for understanding the invention, of a weapon according to the inven tion.

FIG. l shows the supporting for the weapon system or action on blade springs,

FIG. 2 shows the mounting of the displaceable parts of the weapon system on rollers in accordance with another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 3 shows a detail of FIG. 2 on a larger scale and in section on the line III-III in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention in which theA return spring is formed by a coil spring,

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 6 shows a detail of this embodiment,

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the relative positions of the displaceable parts during the cooking operation,

FIGS. 9 and 10 show sections on the lines XI-XI and XII-XII in FIG. 5 respectively,

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the locking device after the displaeeable parts have been moved forwardly during the cocking movement,

FIG. l2 shows another embodiment of this locking, both FIGS. 1l and 12 being shown on a larger scale.

In the constructional form of the invention shown in FIG. l the weapon system or action embodies a barrel 1 and a breech casing 2 in which a compression cylinder 3 is displaceably mounted, housing a compression piston 4 fastened to a rod 5 which embodies at its rear end a nose portion 6 by which it engages a stop of the trigger device, marked generally at 7, on cocking the weapon. The piston 4 is under the influence of a compression spring 41. The barrel 1, the breech casing 2 and the trigger device 7 are arranged in a common housing and form the weapon system or action. This Weapon system is displaceably mounted in the stock and is anchored to the stock by means of two blade springs 8 and 9. The spring 8 is fastened at its lower end by means of a screw 10 to the forward part 11 of the stock of the weapon. It extends for a substantial part of its length in a recess in the stock perpendicularly to the displacement direction of the weapon `system during recoil. This section 12 running perpendicularly to the displacement direction is continued by a bent end portion 13 fastened to the action. The rear part of the action engages the spring 9, the bent end 14 of which is likewise fastened by means of a screw 15 to the stock. Also, this spring embodies a section 16 extending vertically upwards in a recess in the stock, that is perpendicular to the displacement direction and which is followed by a bent end part 17 fastened to the action.

The trigger guard 18 can be fastened to the lower edge of the front stock 14 extending beneath the trigger, so that on firing the trigger 20 moves relatively to the guard 18. Also, the guard 18 can be rigidly connected to the action so that also the guard moves with it.

The blade springs 8 and 9 are so formed, preferably by suitable choice of their width, that they do not permit any lateral movement transversely to the sight axis, but only a swing in the longitudinal direction of the weapon that is in the direction of the sight axis. The springs 8 and 9 serve both as a support for the weapon system and also as return springs for the action after ring.

The constructional form of the invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 differs from the embodiment according to FIG. 1 by the fact that the action is not supported on blade springs but on slide and roller bearings. One roller bearing 21 is located adjacent the rear end of the barrel. As will be seen in detail from FIG. 3 support rollers 22 are rotatably supported on bearing pins 23 in the action. The rollers 22 rest on inclined surfaces 24 provided on a bearing member 25, the precise position of which can be adjusted by means of a screw 26 which is rmly anchored in the stock, as is the bearing member 25.

Rollers 29 are also rotatably mounted on bearing pins 2S supported in lugs 27 of the action. These rollers 29 are arranged at a distance one from the other in the longitudinal direction of the weapon. A presser pad 30 rests on the rollers 29 and embodies bearing surfaces 31 in the region of the rollers 29. The presser pad 30 embodies recesses 32 in which a blade spring 33 is inserted, which is anchored by a screw 34 in the front stock part 35. The spring force exerted on the presser pad by the rollers 29 can be adjusted by means of the screw 34 and thus the action is held downwardly against the stock.

At the rear end of the action there is located a further bearing 36 which can be constructed as a simple slide bearing or also as a roller bearing.

In this embodiment of the invention a coil spring 37 serves as a return spring for return of the action to control position, this spring resting on a plate 38 -which forms the one end face of a hollow space 39 receiving the spring. A plate 40 closing this hollow space 39 on the other side is connected rigidly with the plate 38 by means of side walls fastened in the front stock 35. The hollow space 39 is open above and beneath and a pin 41 passes through it which is fastened to the barrel 1 by means of a screw 42. A support member 43 is fastened to this pin 41 within the hollow space 39 and embodies a shoulder 44 which engages the movable end of the return spring 37 and projects on both sides beyond the pin 41 and carries buffers 45 and 46 of resilient material at its ends, which limit the displacement movement of the action by acting as stops against the plates 38 and 40.

The end of the pin 41 projecting downwardly beyond the hollow space 39 is guided in a U-shaped guide member 47 which hinders undesired lateral movement of the barrel during the displacement movement.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 differs from that of FIG. 2 only by the fact that the return spring is arranged at a different position and the associated parts are of simpler construction. In the embodiment according to FIG. 4 the return spring 48 rests on the end face 49 of a recess 50 and presses on a plate 51 fastened to the action. A spring guide body 52 is located in the hollow space 50. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the part 43 forms the spring guide body.

All the constructional embodiments so far described are similar in that the air gun shows practically no recoil on tiring.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to ll a breech housing 53 together with a barrel 54 and all the parts associated with the breech housing are displaceably mounted in a stock 55. Pins S6 fastened to the breech casing adjacent to the bolt support, are used as the suplever.

port means for the whole action, the pins 56 being guided in bores 57 of an angle member 58 fastened to a carrier plate 59. At the rear end of the action a pin 61 is fastened to an angle member 60 which is secured to the carrier plate 59, on which the rear end of the breech casing 53 is guided by means of a bore 62.

A compression cylinder 63 is axially displaceable in the breech housing 53 and a compression piston 64 is displaceably movable therein and is under the action of a spring 65 bearing against a ring shoulder 66 of the breech housing 53. At the rear end of a piston rod 67 pertaining to the compression piston 64 there is provided a nose member 63 which, with the weapon cocked, engages over an inclined surface 69, inclined somewhat relatively to the radial plane of the rod 67, on a nose portion 70 of a catch 71 as shown in detail in FIG. 1l. The catch is locked by the trigger by means of an intermediate element not shown.

If this lock is released by the trigger the nose 68 of the piston rod 67, subjected to the action of the strong compression spring 65 moves the nose 70 of the catch 71 downwardly out of its path about a pin 72 in the breech housing 53. Adjacent the end of the catch 71 remote from the nose member 70 there is pivotally supported a two-armed lever 74 about a bearing pin 73, one arm 74 engages in a recess 75 of a U-shaped member 76 pivotally mounted on the pin 72. The lower edge of the web portion 76 of the U-shaped member 76 is supported, in the forward position of the breech housing, against a stop face 77 of the pin 61 rigidly mounted in the stock. A torsion spring 78 is located upon the pin 72. One end of this spring 7S engages a recess in the web portion 76 of the U-shaped member 76 and the other end of the spring 78 is fastened in a holder 71 adjacent the nose portion 70. This spring tends to rock the U-shaped member 76 in the `counterclockwise direction and to hold the lower edge of the web 76 in the recess of the pin 61 defining the stop face 77 thereof.

The end 74" of the lever 74 is so arranged `that when the weapon is cocked, that is when the rear end of the piston rod 67 is in the position shown in FIG. 9 on rocking the catch 71, it comes into engagement with the rear end of the piston rod 67. If the catch 71 rotates further in the clockwise direction around the pin 72 the end part 74 lifts the web 76 of lthe U-shaped member 76 over the end face 77 so that the whole action can slide rearwardly on the pins 56 and 61 to reduce the recoil.

l A cocking lever 80 is pivotally mounted as shown in FIG. 6 on the breech housing 53 on a pin 79. A tension rod 82 the forward end of which is fastened to the compression cylinder 63 is pivoted at 81 to the cocking A slider member S3 is also fastened .to the compression cylinder 63. If the cocking lever 80 is moved outwardly for cocking the gun around the tensioning pin 79 the compression cylinder 63 together with the com pression piston `64 and the slider 83 are moved to the rear. portion 68 of the piston rod 67 catches against the nose part 70 of the catch 71. During this rearward movement and before the 4cocking movement is completed the slider member 83 comes into engagement with a fixed stop S4 in the stock as shown in FIGURE 7. During the further movement of the cocking lever therefore the slider 83 and thus the compression cylinder 63 can no longer move relatively to the stock in the rearward direction. As shown best in FIGURE 8, pivot 81 now 'becomes a fulcrum for the cocking lever 80 which now causes a movement of the breech housing relatively to the compression cylinder 63 and the compression piston 64 guided therein in the forward direction after engage-l ment of the slider member 83 on the stop 84. Thereby the action is moved forwardly from the position thereof as shown in FIGURE 7 into the firing position so that the U-shaped member 76 which on the rearward motion of the action resting on the surface 85 of the pin 61 At the end of the cocking movement the nos'ecan be brought in front of the end face 77 with a counterclockwise movement. In this position the action is locked in the firing position.

The cocking lever is again moved back to the position shown in FIG. 6 after cocking the weapon. Thereby the compression cylinder 63 together with the slider 83 are again moved forwardly so that the slider member S3 is no longer resting against the stop 84 and thus on ring the action can slide rearwardly without hindering the reduction in the recoil.

The action can be moved back after firing without moving the cocking lever 8) tothe firing position. For this purpose only the breech casing 53 need be moved forwardly until the U-shaped member 76, 76 enters behind the end face 77.

The last described embodiment of the invention has the considerable advantage that the displaceable parts always have the same starting position on firing and thereby have the same working positions and that the weapon can be handled like a weapon with a rigid action. Furthermore, the locking movement can also be coupled with another movement, for example the forward movement of the system.

Further, the aforesaid locking action in the various embodiments of the invention can be effected independently of the manner in which the displaceable parts are moved forwardly to their starting position, whether by hand, by a spring or, as in the constructional embodiments shown, simultaneously with the cocking action by the cocking lever. It is only essential that the locking action shall be released during firing. The unlocking movement can, as already stated, be obtained directly from the movement of the trigger, but in other embodiments of the invention it may only be operatively connected with the trigger insofar as on depressing the trigger, forces are released which besides other functions, serve to initiate the unlocking movement.

If the locking element is not formed by a part of the trigger or by an element positively connected. for operation therewith, the displaceable parts may be locked in their forward position independently of the cocking condition and independently of the trigger in its forward position, which gives certain advantages in the handling of the weapon.

The embodiment of FIG, 12 differs from the embodiment of FIG. l1 by the fact that the two-armed lever 74 and the U-shaped member 76 are replaced by a locking element 76 which is 'pivotally mounted on the shaft 72. A coil spring 78 which is suspended beneath the pivot of the locking element 76 rotates said element in the counter-clockwise direction and thus causesit to bear on the surface of the xed pin 61.

If now the system 53 is slid forward mechanically or by hand the surface 76 falls in front of the end face 77 of the pin 61, and thus performs the wedge-like playfree locking of the whole action in the firing position.

On releasing the lock of the trigger the compression piston 64 is forced forwardly by the spring 65 and the projection 68 of the piston rod 67 slides over the nose part 87 of the locking element 76, the latter rotating in the clockwise direction about the spindle 72 in the downward direction. The rear inclined face 76 then comes out of engagement and the whole action can slide to the rear on the pins 56 and 61.

What we claim is:

l. A compressed air weapon, especially an air gun having a stock and displaceable parts including a barrel, a breech casing movable therewith, a compression cylinder and a piston reciprocable therein, a compression spring in said compression cylinder having one end abutting said piston and the other end abutting said breech casing and urging said piston and said breech casing in opposite directions, means supporting said displaceable parts on said stock for movement relative thereto, said weapon comprising ammunition propelling means includpad having bearing surfaces engaging the upper surfaces' of said roller members.

4. A compressed air Weapon according to claim 1, further comprising guide means for said barrel and said breech casing at opposite ends of said breech casing, said guide means including stationary parts in said stock connected by a plate member, said guide means comprises bore means in one end of said breech casing and in one of said stationary parts, said guide means further comprising pins engaging in said bore means, one of said pins being carried by said breech casing and another of said pins being carried by another one of said stationary parts.

5. A compressed air weapon according to claim l, wherein said displaceable parts are supported for said longitudinal movement by two blade springs extending substantially pcrpendicularly to the direction of said movement.

6. A compressed air weapon according to claim 1, wherein said barrel and said breech casing are movable to a forward position and alrearward position, and return spring means are provided to return said barrel and said breech casing to said forward position after being moved rearwardly longitudinally upon said discharge.

7. A compressed air weapon according to claim 5, wherein said blade springs comprise a blade spring connecting said barrel and said stock and a further blade spring connecting said breech casing and said stock.

8. A weapon according to claim 1, wherein resilient buffer means is provided for limiting said movement caused by said discharge of said Weapon.

9. A compressed air weapon according to claim 1, wherein said barrel and breech casing are movable to a rearward position and to a forward firing position, and means including cocking means for moving said displaceable parts to said rearward position and to said forward firing position.

10. A compressed air weapon according to claim 9, wherein said cocking means includes a cocking lever pivotally mounted on said breech casing, a slider member movable in opposite directions by said cocking lever, a fixed stop member in said stock engageable by said slider member in one of said directions of movement, said slider member being operatively connected to said displaceable parts and `being moved in the other of said directions upon movement of said displaceable parts to said forward tiring position.

11. A compressed air weapon according to claim 10, said slider member being operatively connected with said compression cylinder, movement of said cocking lever prior to engagement of said fixed stop member by said slider member being effective to move said compression cylinder rearwardly, said cocking means further comprising fulcrum means for said cocking lever enabling said cocking lever to move said breech casing forwardly upon engagement of said xed stop member by said slider member.

12. A compressed air weapon according to claim 9, wherein said releasable restraining means comprises a manually controlled disengageable latch means including a catch member for holding said breech casing and said barrel in said forward firing position.

13. A compressed air weapon according to claim 12, wherein said latch means comprises a pivotally mounted pawl member, a member provided with a shoulder carried by said stock, said pawl member engaging said shoulder upon the movement of said displaceable parts to said forward tiring position.

14. A compressed air weapon according to claim 13, wherein said catch member is operatively connected with the trigger of said weapon.

15. A compressed air weapon according to claim 14, wherein said releasable restraining means further comprises a two-armed lever supported by said catch member, one end of said lever engaging said pawl member, said ammunition propelling means further including a piston rod for said piston, a nose member carried by the outer end portion of said piston rod, and engageable with said catch member, the other end of said lever engaging the outer end of said piston rod upon movement of said catch member when said weapon is tired.

16. A compressed air weapon according to claim 9, said releasable restraining means comprising a locking member pivotally supported by said breech casing and operatively connected to the trigger of said weapon, stationary means supported by said stock, abutment surfaces on said locking member and on said stationary means, said abutment surfaces being in engagement upon completion of movement of said displaceable parts to said forward tiring position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 693,105 2/1902 Burgess 89-141 2,383,195 8/1945 Horman 308--6 2,705,847 4/1955 Kramer 89--162 2,846,926 8/1958 Kimball 89-162 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

JOHN M. HORAN, Examiner. 

1. A COMPRESSED AIR WEAPON, ESPECIALLY AN AIR GUN HAVING A STOCK AND DISPLACEABLE PARTS INCLUDING A BARREL, A BREECH CASING MOVABLE THEREWITH, A COMPRESSION CYLINDER AND A PISTON RECIPROCABLE THEREIN, A COMPRESSION SPRING IN SAID COMPRESSION CYLINDER HAVING ONE END ABUTTING SAID PISTON AND THE OTHER END ABUTTING SAID BREECH CASING AND URGING SAID PISTON AND SAID BREECH CASING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID DISPLACEABLE PARTS ON SAID STOCK FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, SAID WEAPON COMPRISING CYLINDER, SAID PISTON AND SAID COMING SAID COMPRESSION CYLINDER, SAID PISTON AND SAID COMPRESSION SPRING, RELEASABLE RESTRAINING MEANS PREVENTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID BREECH CASING AND SAID PISTON, AND TRIGGER-OPERATED MEANS RELEASING SAID RESTRAINING MEANS UPON DISCHARGE OF SAID WEAPON. 